Shinra's Secret
by Faction Fighter
Summary: Cloud has gone missing and Tifa has looked everywhere. Vincent by chance has discovered a book that may finally tell the gang what happened to Cloud all those years ago...rnrnplease r and r!1
1. Default Chapter

**The Secret of Shinra**

"Tifa! Your home again!" yelled the old woman excitedly. She was jumping up and down, tears rolling down her face in happiness. Tifa beamed at seeing this woman, things like this made her day.

" It is good to see you to Maria. How've you kept since I saw you last?" asked Tifa, who was also being pulled in several directions by little kids. Maria smiled and looked at Tifa.

"Look, even the little ones are happy that you have returned. This is how much you are loved here. Why must you always look for that boy? There's plenty of other's like him, and these boy's don't disappear without trace." asked Maria. Tifa sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Those other ones are nothing like Cloud. He was one of a kind, and he's my friend as well. That's plenty of reason for me to look for him. Don't you think so?" sighed Tifa as she lay down.

"You know what I think, cos' I tell you every time you come back! You'll never listen to me though!" yelled Maria, as she walked downstairs. Tifa knew she was right, but something told her Cloud was still out there, and then she remembered the note she found at Cloud's house. Well actually Yuffie found it but gave it to Tifa. Yuffie was always helping with the rebuilding so she was very rarely seen.

_Tifa, if you read this then I have left. I'm not sure what it is but it's driving me crazy. I have to go look for the answers. Please don't follow me, and tell everyone else I am sorry to leave without saying goodbye._

_I'll return someday. Please stay safe until then_

_Cloud_

She had read this note over and over again trying to figure out what it meant. It had been 3 years since they had defeated Sephiroth and Aeris had defeated Meteor. Cloud seemed to become his normal self after his final duel with Sephiroth. They had all watched Cloud unleash all his fury, anger, hate and sadness in that one final blow that destroyed Sephiroth. She saw the rage burning in his eyes and had never seen such a sight.

The letter still made no sense. What was this thing that was driving him crazy? And where was he heading?

Tifa had been to every place she could think of that meant anything to Cloud and had visited them all but found no sign of him. She decided to stay in Neo-Midgar and help with the reconstruction of the great City.

Although they had rebuilt a lot since it was destroyed, there was still much to do. But Tifa was exhausted from the trip, and felt herself being swept away into a dreamless sleep.

"Tifa, I made you some…. Ah, she looks like an angel when she is sleeping. Goodnight Tifa" whispered Maria as she closed the door.


	2. Vincent's Discovery

Note:

Was gonna put this in earlier but me forget easily! I don't own FF7 or any characters. Also the title Archives of Pain belongs to Nicky Wire and Richey James of the Manic Street Preachers. Doesn't belong to me. Kapeesh? Good

* * *

Vincent was back in Nibelheilm. Each night he sat in the dank basement of the Nibelheilm Mansion and studied the books. He knew that Cloud and one of his army friends were experimented on, much like him. 

_They were innocent of everything. Your failure cost a life. You deserve this._

As always, his inner voice was reminding him that this body was a result of his own wrongdoing, and that he cannot compare to everyone else.

He had read the reports of Cloud and his friends escape to the point where he had it memorised. He also knew that in the Mountain "Reactor" there were mutants in cold storage.

_To think I slept throughout it all. While I slept, those people died needlessly. Like Lucre…_

He dared not finish the sentence. In the 3 years since Sephiroth's defeat, he had not uttered that word once. Not that he had spoken a lot to anyone either. Just the odd rat now and again.

_Solitude, the one thing that brings me joy and misery._

He sometimes wondered whether he did have any humanity left, but he rarely thought any more.

He left all traces of humanity when he was cursed to hold this body.

Vincent shook his head of all thought, and began to look over the archives again. One particular book, which he hadn't seemed to read yet.

He looked at the cover and saw that a Dr. James had written it. He flipped over a few pages and stopped on one that shocked him.

_Project 17A-B 22 _

_Codename – Archives of Pain_

_Sort Research into Cloning and Endurance_

_I received new guinea pigs today. Both former Shinra army. One was former Soldier First Class. The other was a Private. Both of medium build and around 5"10. Both have been exposed heavily to Mako, which may cause mutations in both subjects (see Case File 22-A for further information) and other side effects._

_Both are currently listed as missing, presumed dead. Locate any family and fabricate plausible story._

_Endurance tests will be run ASAP and then both will be subjected to attempted Cloning._

Vincent was shocked by what he was reading. This meant that there was more to everything that happened 3 years ago. Cloud had to see this. But how would he get from Nibelheilm to Neo-Midgar? More importantly, where was this supposed cloning facility?

He opened the book, and scanned through each page until he found what he needed.

_All contact to the island is blocked to all but employees whose card has a level of 28 or higher. Said people have full use of the airstrip/helipad and will enter that way. Permission is given to shoot down unknown craft._

_If normal route is dangerous, there is a tunnel route dug into the cliff located near the ruin of Gonaganga. _

_Password is – Shinra and key codes will be given upon successful entry of tunnel._

Vincent had just found the key to Cloud's problems. Now it was just how to get to Neo-Midgar…

Barrett was carrying a huge amount of wood to help some builders out when a familiar voice shouted to him.

" Hey Barrett, wait up!" the voice shrieked.

"Uhh, hey there Yuffie," he mumbled scratching his head, "how are ya?"She jumped up and down enough to make even Barrett feel sick.

"I'm great!" she yelled a little too enthusiastically for Barrett's liking," but Red isn't looking too good". She pointed over to the shade where Red was lying. He attempted to get up but instantly collapsed back down again.

Barrett dropped the wood and ran over to his friend.

"Hey, yo Red what's the matter?" he said. Red didn't say anything back, but held up his paw.

"Yeah, I know you are 13 but what's that….". He trailed off as he noticed that the scar seemed to be bleeding and somewhere on Red's back he could hear skin ripping or something that sounded like it.

"Yuffie, get someone quick. I know, get Tifa and that lady she lives with, pronto!" Barrett yelled.

A nearby man ran over and looked at Red and muttered.

"Poor thing's infected by Mako. He is mutating. What number is he?" he said. Barrett turned round and picked the man up by his shirt.

" Say what? How'd you know that?" he spat in the man's face.

"I used to be assistant to a doctor who tested people's reactions to Mako. This one had it when he was simply a pup. It may cause death…or not. Depends really." he said with a sad look on his face," but I remember there was a cure."

Barrett dropped the man and said urgently.

"What? Where?" he said, with desperation in his voice.

"I never found out. I was fired shortly after that" he said," sorry.". The man walked off and Tifa arrived. She took 1 look at Red and saw Cloud in that exact same position, just a few years before.

This was even more reason to find Cloud.


	3. Journey

Vincent was rushing around the Mansion contemplating his next move.

"Should I go to Neo- Midgar? Or should Cloud be allowed to live in peace?" he repeated in his head over and over again. He couldn't settle that night either, not that it made much difference from normal. He lay in his coffin all night still thinking about what to do.

He sat up the next morning and knew what he had to do. He picked up his rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He was going to Neo-Midgar.

He walked up the basement stairs and opened the secret door. The morning sun was just rising and most of the monsters would still be sleeping. His journey would be relatively easy. He bid farewell to his Home and left the front door.

"Rocket Town eh…"

He walked through the town, and noticed for once the people of the town weren't staring at him. It made a difference as whenever he strayed out of his home, people usually stared at his arm. It was slightly mangled, and his hand was now a metal claw. It was part of the experiment he was in all those years ago. He never found out what they were trying on him, but he knew what it did to people.

_I know because it courses through my veins. Every day and night… _

"Excuse me Mister," asked a little kid," but why is your hand all messed?" The kid's mother ran over and scolded the boy

"Sorry he's like that. He is only 6 as well." she apologised. Vincent just remained solemn and nodded.

"It's ok. Hey kid, I'll tell you why."

_It was raining. I'd just come back from a successful mission. It was always raining_

"I was about 19. I used to be in a, shall we say a gang. But we did some nasty things to people."

_Nasty? You killed those people in cold-blood. You were evil._

"Like what Mister? Take their money and beat them up?" said the little kid.

"Yeah, things like that. But one day, I came back to this town to see my… friend. I went into my old home, which was the Mansion to see her, but I was kidnapped and made to go to sleep for a while."

_You can't even remember how long you were there. She was more than a friend to you though._

"What about your hand though?" asked the little kid, who was very taken in by the story.

"I was shot in the hand by the men and I had this put on. Not very interesting is it?" said Vincent.

"Not interesting? You were shot facing bad guys!" the kid's face lit up as he raced off to tell his friends. The mother sat there and watched Vincent walk away towards the mountain. The man was living in armour of ice that was un-escapable. She sensed the good and evil in him and sighed as she walked away. He was such a nice man as well.


End file.
